Lantana plant named &#39;bante oransun&#39;

ABSTRACT

A lantana plant particularly distinguished by orange flowers, a continuous, abundant and mid-season flowering response, dark green foliage with ovate leaves, vigorous, compact growth, low mounding and good branching ability, is disclosed.

GENUS AND SPECIES

Lantana camara

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Bante Oransun’

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Lantana, botanically known as Lantana camara and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Bante Oransun’. The new cultivar originated from a pollination made in July 2003 in Gilroy, Calif. The new cultivar was created from the crossing of ‘22-1’, a fuchsia (unpatented) proprietary line with ‘D1-3’, a pink (unpatented) proprietary line.

The new cultivar was created in July of 2003 in Gilroy, Calif. and has been asexually reproduced repeatedly by vegetative cuttings and tissue culture in Gilroy, Calif. and Andijk, The Netherlands over a two and one-half-year period. The plant has also been trialed at Gilroy, Calif., Andijk, The Netherlands and Hillscheid, Germany. The present invention has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations.

Plant Breeder's Rights for this cultivar were applied for in Canada on March 21, 2006 and in Germany on Nov. 27, 2006.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishing characteristics of the new cultivar when grown under normal horticultural practices in Gilroy, Calif.

-   -   1. Orange flowers;     -   2. A continuous, abundant and mid-season flowering response;     -   3. Dark green foliage with ovate leaves;     -   4. Vigorous growth;     -   5. A compact and low mounding plant habit; and     -   6. Good branching ability.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

This new lantana plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographs which show overall plant habit including blooms, buds and foliage of the plant; the colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures. The photos are of 15-16 week-old plants in September of 2006.

FIG. 1 shows the overall plant habit, including inflorescences, buds and foliage of the whole plant.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the mature inflorescence.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctive characteristics of ‘Bante Oransun’. The data which define these characteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out in Gilroy, Calif. The plant history was taken on 26-week-old plants, grown in Gilroy, Calif. in 6″ pots. Observations were made in summer and early fall. The plants had one plant growth regulator treatment and one terminal pinch after cuttings were transplanted to the 4″ pots then transferred to 6″ pots. Color readings were taken under natural light. Color references are primarily to the R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (RHS) (2001 edition).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

-   Classification:     -   -   Family.—Verbenaceae.         -   Botanical.—Lantana camara.         -   Common name.—Lantana. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female.—‘22-1’, a fuschia proprietary line (unpatented).         -   Male.—‘D1-3’, a pink proprietary line (unpatented). -   Growth:     -   -   Form.—Semi-woody, herbaceous; grown as an annual or             perennial.         -   Growth and branching habit.—Compact, low mounding, good             branching, pinching of the apices enhances the number of             branches and results in a tighter plant habit.         -   Height (measured from the top of the soil).—12.0 cm to 15.0             cm.         -   Width (horizontal plant diameter).—20.0 cm to 23.0 cm.         -   Time to produce a finished flowering plant.—12 to 13 weeks             for a 12-cm pot in the spring.         -   Outdoor plant performance.—Use in containers and hanging             baskets.         -   Time to initiate and develop roots.—Approximately 24 days.         -   Root description.—Fibrous, fleshy, white, self-branching. -   Stems:     -   -   Number of branches per plant.—7 to 10.         -   Length.—10.0 cm to 12.0 cm.         -   Diameter (measured from the midpoint).—0.3 cm.         -   Internode length.—1.5 cm to 2.0 cm.         -   Color.—Immature (growing) stems: RHS 144B Mature (woody)             stems: RHS 152A.         -   Anthocyanin.—Absent.         -   Texture.—Hispid; hirsute; glandular hairs. -   Leaves:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite.         -   Fragrance.—Slightly spicey.         -   Immature leaf.—Color: Upper surface: RHS 147A Lower surface:             RHS 137C.         -   Mature leaf.—Color: Upper surface: Closest to RHS 139A, but             a little darker Lower surface: RHS 147A Length: 6.1 cm to             6.2 cm Width: 3.4 cm to 4.0 cm Shape: Ovate to elliptical             Apex: Acute Base: Attenuate Margin: Serrate Texture: Slight             scabrous with some bristles in the mid-vein having a black             ring around the base. Venation: Pinnate Venation color: RHS             144A.         -   Petioles.—Length: 1.3 cm to 1.5 cm Diameter: 0.2 cm Color:             RHS 144A Texture: Scabrous with some bristles in the             mid-vein having a black ring around them; glandular hairs. -   Flower buds:     -   -   Shape.—Tubular.         -   Length.—0.8 cm to 1.0 cm.         -   Diameter (at the tip).—0.3 cm to 0.4 cm.         -   Color (at tight bud).—RHS 15A. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Blooming habit.—Flowers continuously from Spring through             Fall; Inflorescences usually appear in pairs from a nodium             with one inflorescence per leaf axil.         -   Fragrance.—Slightly spicey.         -   Inflorescence type.—Umbel-like flattened semi-sphere,             subtended by a ring of leaflets, florets are flowers that             are sessile on an ovate receptacle.         -   Horizontal diameter of inflorescence.—3.0 cm to 3.75 cm.         -   Vertical depth of inflorescence.—1.5 cm to 2.0 cm.         -   Number of inflorescences per plant.—21 to 29.         -   Number of florets per inflorescence.—25 to 30.         -   Peduncle.—Length: 1.0 cm to 1.2 cm Diameter: 0.1 cm Color:             RHS 144B Texture: Hispid; hirsute; glandular hairs.         -   Pedicels.—None, flowers are sessile. -   Flowers:     -   -   Floret form.—Salver-shaped to shallow cup-shaped and             zygomorphic, with a relatively long tube at the base. Each             flower is subtended by a single bract.         -   Corolla diameter.—0.8 cm to 0.9 cm.         -   Floret depth.—1.5 cm to 1.7 cm.         -   General color.—Mostly yellow-goldish in the very opening             stages, then turning through varying hues of medium orange,             with deeper orange mature florets. Color intensities can             vary with cultural growing conditions.         -   Immature flower (face).—Color: Upper surface: RHS 14A;             changing to having RHS N25C at the margins Lower surface:             RHS 13B to RHS 13C.         -   Mature flower (face).—Color: Upper surface: RHS N25A, some             with RHS N25C at the margins then maturing to between RHS             N30B to RHS N30D Lower surface: RHS 26C Corolla tube: Color:             Inner surface: RHS 26D Outer surface: RHS 26C Texture:             Densely pubescent, some with red-orange hues Length: 1.0 cm             to 1.2 cm Diameter (at opening): 0.15 cm.         -   Petals.—Length of lobe: 0.4 cm to 0.5 cm Diameter of lobe:             0.3 cm to 0.4 cm Lobe shape: Obovate Apex: Slightly             emarginate Base: Fused Margin: Entire Degree of lobation:             Moderate Texture: Papillose.         -   Bract.—Color: RHS 144B with RHS 144A at the apex Length: 0.5             cm to 0.6 cm Diameter: 0.2 cm Shape: Short, lanceolate Apex:             Acute Margin: Entire Base: Fused Texture: Densely pubescent;             hispid.         -   Calyx.—General: Composed of 5 fused sepals forming a short             tube around the base of each floret Shape: Tube-shaped with             two short lobes Length: 0.15 cm to 0.2 cm Diameter: 0.1 cm             Color: Upper surface: RHS 144C Apex (of calyx lobe): Rounded             Base (of sepals): Fused Margin (of sepals): Side-margins are             fused, but tips are shallowly fringed. Texture: Densely             pubescent. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Stamens.—Quantity: 4 Filament color: RHS 2D Filament             diameter: 0.05 cm Filament length: 0.6 cm to 0.8 cm Anther             color: RHS 17D Anther length: 0.75 cm Anther shape: Ovate             Pollen amount: Sparse to none Pollen color: RHS 16C.         -   Pistil.—Quantity: One Length: 0.3 cm Stigma color: RHS 151C             Style color: RHS 1C with slight brown striations Style             length: 0.25 cm. -   Fruit/seed set: No fruit or seed has been produced. -   Disease and insect resistance: Resistance and susceptibility is     typical of the species.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTAL AND COMMERCIAL CULTIVARS

‘Bante Oransun’ differs from the female parent ‘22-1’ in that ‘Bante Oransun’ has an orange flower color while the female parent has a fuchsia flower color. In addition, ‘Bante Oransun’ flowers about 6 days earlier and is more floriferous than the female parent.

‘Bante Oransun’ differs from the male parent ‘D3-1’ in that ‘Bante Oransun’ has an orange flower color, while the male parent has a pink flower color. In addition, ‘Bante Oransun’ is more compact, has better branching and flowers earlier than the male parent.

‘Bante Oransun’ differs from the commercial variety ‘Balucpea’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,520) in that ‘Bante Oransun’ has a more compact plant habit with better basal branching. In addition, ‘Bante Oransun’ has a more golden ‘peach’ flower color than ‘Balucpea’. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Lantana plant as shown and described herein. 